Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

Tomorrow is the day. Our very first community meetup is happening in Amsterdam, and we can’t wait to see as many of you as possible.

What’s in store? You’ll get an exclusive first glimpse of Scently Speaking’s debut fragrance, along with the official reveal of our fragrance publisher’s brand name. And yes, one or two surprises might be waiting for you.

We’re excited to finally bring this to life together with scent, stories and shared inspiration.

See you there
More soon!

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Ozempic, Industry War, and Mood Enhancers

2. Niche Newcomers: Oddity, Mark Buxton, Amouage, Rubini, Nishane

3. QUIZ: Major trend in the 80s/90s, but fallen out of fashion?

4. Scent MythBusters: Fragrances are best when they are fresh out of production

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

#OZEMPICEFFECT: The weight-loss revolution is reshaping luxury consumption in unexpected ways. NielsenIQ reveals that GLP-1 drug users buy 23% more perfume than everyone else, as physical appetite shrinks but the desire for indulgence finds a new outlet. Gourmand fragrances are becoming the perfect loophole, offering crème brûlée dopamine hits with zero calories. Sol de Janeiro's nutty, vanilla scents topped Sephora's 2024 sales, while perfumers evolve toward "Neo-Gourmands" featuring tomato-leaf, pistachio-salt, and even caviar accords.

#INDUSTRYSECRETS: Behind every CPG fragrance lies a competitive battlefield where 3-5 fragrance houses (think Givaudan, Firmenich, IFF) wage war through account managers, perfumers, and technical teams. The process involves months of briefings, evaluations, "final disaster checks," and champagne celebrations, or crushing defeats. French's insider perspective reveals the complex dance between the "eternal triangle" of Purchasing, Marketing, and Development that determines which scents reach our shelves.

#MOODSCIENCE: Our beloved community member Jack explores how mood-enhancing fragrances are revolutionizing the scent landscape at Basenotes. As wellness culture embraces aromatherapy's psychological benefits, perfumers are crafting scents designed to trigger specific emotional responses, from confidence-boosting citrus blends to stress-relieving lavender innovations. The future of fragrance isn't just about smelling good; it's about feeling better, one spritz at a time.

Niche Newcomers 🎨 🌟 

David Chieze emerges as the indispensable LUZI high performer and Mark Buxton protégé behind .Oddity's latest creation, proving that mentorship breeds innovation. Mark Buxton himself returns with a complex composition from his Freedom Collection, while Nishane, the westernised Amouage bridging Western and Middle Eastern perfumery from Turkey with countless new launches per year, delivers a Harrods exclusive. Meanwhile, Italian house Rubini and perfumer Cristiano Canali craft their sixth collaboration, representing serenity after chaos, and Amouage ventures into minimalist territory with a traditional attar by the multi-talented Quentin Bisch.

QUIZ 🎲 

Scent MythBusters 🎭️ 

TL;DR

The belief that perfumes peak immediately after production is one of fragrance culture's biggest misconceptions. Many fragrances actually require weeks, months, or even years to reach their optimal state through maceration and maturation. The reality depends on complex chemical processes and ingredient composition. Some fragrances improve dramatically with time, whilst others perform best fresh. It's not about age, it's about chemistry.

The Misconception 🕵️‍♀️

Fresh equals best. We've been conditioned to believe that the moment a bottle leaves the factory represents the perfumer's intended vision in its purest form. Any change after that? Deterioration. This myth is reinforced by our obsession with batch codes and production dates, where "newer" automatically means "superior." The beauty industry perpetuates this by emphasising expiration dates, creating fear around any fragrance evolution.

The Reality Check 🛑

The truth reveals a far more sophisticated process. As Jean-Claude Ellena puts it: "Perfume maturation is like the ageing of a fine wine. It's about allowing the ingredients to marry and develop greater depth and harmony over time."

When perfumers blend aromatic compounds, they create what chemists call a "dynamic system." These molecules don't simply coexist, they actively interact, forming new compounds and achieving chemical equilibrium. Standard industry practice involves a maturation period of approximately one month after diluting perfume concentrate in alcohol. But many fragrances benefit from much longer aging.

Some examples:

• Woody and Resinous Fragrances: Often require extended aging for "molecular marriage." Oud-based compositions can continue evolving for months or years.

• Natural Perfumes: Can require 6 months to a year minimum, as natural ingredients contain hundreds of compounds that continue interacting.

• Pure Attars: Traditional oils like sandalwood, oud, and amber can improve for decades when properly stored.

• Citrus Fragrances: The exception—these perform best within the first few months due to volatile compounds that evaporate quickly.

Why This Matters 🎯

Understanding maceration transforms how we experience fragrance. Instead of viewing aging as deterioration, we can appreciate it as part of the creative process. Bertrand Duchaufour explains: "Maceration is essential for obtaining the purest essence of plant materials."

The chemical processes include:
• Formation of alcohol hydrates that affect molecular interactions
• Creation of acetals that smell "softer and nicer" than original aldehydes
• Integration of top, middle, and base notes into harmonious compositions

So, is the myth busted?

Absolutely. "Fresh is best" ignores the complex chemistry of fragrance development. Many perfumes reveal their true character only through patient aging. The next time you encounter a fragrance that seems different to your first impression, you might be witnessing development, not decline. In perfumery, time itself becomes an ingredient.